Emergency control for brakes



Feb. 5, 1952 L. A. WOODSWO RTH EMERGENCY CONTROL FOR BRAKES 2SHEETS-SHEET l Filed June 7, 1951 Feb. 5, 1952 A. wooDswoRTH EMERGENCYCONTROL EOR BRAKES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed June '7, 1951 Iweiof: lLeiaaaduWoodswow,

Patented Feb. 5, 1952 j UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,584,521 EMERGENCYCONTROL FOR BRAKES Leland A. Woodsworth, Roxbury, Mass.

Application June 7, 1951, Serial No. 230,388

y (c1. 74-5o3) 9 claims. l

This invention relates to an emergency control for brakes andparticularly to such a control for theemergency brakes of a motorvehicle.

-Many accidents are caused by the fact that while the operators reactiontime remains constant, the distance a vehicle travels during that timevaries with its speed as does the distance required to stop iti once thebrakes are engaged. 'I he time required lto actuate the foot operatedbrakes is appreciable, measured in terms o f the vehicles travel, sothat the shortening of the time between the recognition of a danger andthe full application of the brakes is of importance and means for sodoing, through the full application of the emergency brake simply byactuating a release for a brake engaging source 'of power aretheobjectives of this invention.

The usual emergency brake of a motor vehicle has an operating member orhandle conveniently accessible to the operator. That member has a pawlthat resiliently locks with a rack to hold the handle against beingmoved in a brake disengaging direction unless the pawl is released fromits locking position.

In accordance with the invention, the rack includes a movable unit urgedby a spring to engage with and carry the operating member or handle in abrake engaging direction relative to thev rack. The unit includes a pawlwhich locks with the rack when the spring is compressed. An y operatorcontrol is employed to release that pawl so that the spring becomesinstantly operative to veffect full application of the emergency brakes.

Such a control may be of any type and may simply require a short push tooperate it and it may be located, on the instrument panel, for example,where only short movement of the operators hand is required. f

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an embodiment of theinvention which illustrates vthe features to which reference has beenmade and other novel features and advantages.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary View of a motor vehicle instrument panelYshowing the relationship of the emergency control to the operator,

' Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the 4. iii) emergency controlin a vposition ready for instant use,

' Fig. 3 is a view, generally similar to Fig. 2,;

tion shown in the drawings, there is shown a housing I0 having adownwardly opening guide slot Il and suitably mounted as by walls I2 andI3 in back of the instrument panel I4. The walls I2 and I3 also supporta substantially cylindrical rack I5 located within the housing I0 andhaving a chamber I6 in the form of a downwardly opening slot extendingfrom end to end of therack and vertically alined with the guide slot II. The edges of the rack that are established by the slot I6 areprovided with a series of rack teeth I'I and an oppositely disposedtooth I8.

The emergency brake includes an operating rod I9 and a handle 20 whichin accordance with the invention is entrant of the guide slot II andincludes a unit 2l in the form of a sleeve slidably supported by therack I5 and having ball bearings 22 entrant of races 23 extending fromend to end of the rack.

The unit'2l also houses a pivotable pawl 24 engageable with the rackteeth I1 under the iniluence of the spring 25 and locking therewith tovhold the handle 20 against movement from a rearward brake engagingposition forwardly into 4a brake releasing position. In order that thepawl 24 may be released, the handle 20 is cham- -bered to receive therelease arm 26 which is pivoted at 21 tothe handle 20 and ha-s its upperend formed as a hook 28 engageable with the pawl pin 29 thereby to drawthe pawl 24 out of tooth engaging position-when the release arm 26 isswung inwardly. The arm 26 is urged outwardly by a v'spring 30 and has aslot 3l through which ex'- tends a pin 32 extending transverselyvthrough the handle 20 lto limit the extent to which it may Swingineither direction. When the handle 20 ris pulled rearwardly to apply thebrakes, ythe pawl 24 is free to swing suiciently to clear the teeth I'Iwithout interference from the' release arm hook 28 as is apparent from'Figs. 2 and 3.

Forwardly of the unit 2|, there is a second unit 33 which is also in theform of a sleeve sup- -ported by the rack I5 and provided with ballvbearings 34 entrant of the rack races 23. The unit 33 also houses apivotable pawl 35 yieldably ,urged into engagement with the tooth I8 bythe spring 36 thereby to lock the unit 33 to the rack `'I5 againstmovement in a brake applying direction. The unit 33 has an annularprojection 3T establishing a seat for one end of the coil spring- 38which surrounds the rack I5 and is vbackedl by the vwall I2, alsoprovided with an annular spring seat 39.

rI The vpawl of the unit 33 engages the tooth -I8 only when the spring38 is compressed. `Such compression of the spring 38 is effected bypushing the handle 2|) in a brake releasing direction until the pawl 35engages the tooth I8. The emergency brake may then be operated in aconventional manner.

In order to release the pawl 35 thereby tc permit the spring 38 tofunction, the chamber of the rack I5 is provided with a control element4U whichhas a pair of forwardly and downwardly inclined slots 4I throughwhich extend supporting pins 42 extending transversely of and carried bythe rack I5 to intersect its chamber. This control element 40 is thussupported for sliding Vmovement relative to the stationary rack betweenthe rearward raised position shown in Fig. 2 and the forward depressedposition shown in Fig. 3. The control member 4D extends through slot 43of the wall I3 and includes a .handled stem 44 extending through theslot 45 ofthe instrument panel I4. The control member 4U is vyieldably"held in yits rearward inoperative position --by Ameans of a spr-ing .45carried by the stop 4l' anchored in 'the front part of 'the rack chamberI6. When the control member 40 is pushed forwardly from its positionshown inFig. V2, lit is depressed, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby lto swingvthe pawl 35 of the second unit 33 out o'f locking relation with therack i5. This movement of the control element 4i! also releases the pawl2-4 of the unit 2I.

The spring 38 is then free tocarry Ythe second unit 33 forwardly intoengagement with the iirst `unit 2l `and to forcibly carry it and thebrake handle 2i) into a position in which the brakes are fully applied.

It will thus be appreciated kthat in accordance with the invention, theemergency brakes are fully applied instantly by pushing the 'controlelement 40 forwardly and with reference to Fig. l,

lit wili be 4noted that the control element 40 is so located adjacentthe steering wheel .48 that `ber movable between brake applying andbrake releasing positions, a rack, and a 'unit connecting said member tosaid rack and including a pawl resilientl-y 'locking therewith -agans'tmove- 'ment in a brake releasing direction, said control comprising aspring, a second unit movable by said spring relative to said rack in abrake applying direction `to engage with said rst unit and including aspring actuated pawl resiliently locking ywith said rack when saidspring -is compressed, and an operator control engageable with the pawlof said second unit to `release it from said -rack thereby to -enablesaid spring to `force said units in a brake applying direction.

2. An emergency control -ior an emergency brake of the Atype having abrake Ioperating member movable between brake applying and brakereleasing positions, a rack, and a pawl unit connecting said member tosa-id rack and resiliently locking therewith against movement in a brakereleasing direc-tion, said control comprising a spring, a second unitmovable by saidspring-relative to said rack in -a brake Aapplyingdirection to 'engage with said nrst named unit, said second unitincluding means locking it to said rack Ywhen said spring is undertension, and an-operator vcontrol engagea'ble with said means `torelease .it from said rack thereby to enable said spring to torce saidunits in a brake applying direction.

3. An emergency control for an emergency brake, said control comprisingrack means, rst and second units movable relative thereto and includingspring actuated pawls, a. brake operating member connected to said firstunit and movable between brake engaging and brake releasing ,positionathe pawl .of .Saidrst unit being operable to lock with ssaid rackrmeansagainst movement of said member towards a vbrake releasing position, aspring associated with said Vrack means, said second unit being engagedby said spring to be urged thereby to engage said first unit and `tocarry it in a brake applying direction but with the pawl of said secondunit locking vwith said rack means when said spring is compressed, andan operator control engageable with the pawl of said second unit tounlock it from said rack whereby said spring then becomes operative toeffect brake engagement.

4. An emergency control for an emergency brake, sai-d control comprisinga rack, lirstiafnti second u-nits slidably supported by said rack andincluding spring actuated pawls, a lbrake operating member connected tosaid rst vunit and 'movable Vbetween brake engaging and brake releasingpositions, the 'paw-l of said 'first uni-t being operable Ato lock withsaid rack `against movement of said member towards a brake-releasingposition, `a spring associated with said rack, said second unit beingengaged by said 'spring to 'be urged thereby :to engage 'said first unitand carry it in -a brake applying `direction 'but with 'the pawl of saidsecond unit locking with said rack when said spring is compressed, andan operator control engageable with the pawl of said second unit tounlock itfrom said rack whereby said spring then .becomes operative .toeffect brake engagement, .said first unit engaging said second unit tocompress said .spring and to carry said second unit into lockingposition ,as said member is moved into Vbrake releasing position. 5. inemergency control for van .emergency brake, said control comprising arack having a slot :opening throughone end and a .side thereof, irst:and second units slidably supported by said rack and including springactuated pawls located adjacent said slot, Va brake operating memberconnected to said first unit and movable between brake engaging andbrake releasing positions, the pawl of said rst unit being loperable tolock .to said rack against movement ofl said member Atowards a 'brakereleasing position, a spring vsurrounding said rack and Vengaging :saidsecond unit, said second unit 'being engaged by said spring to be urgedthereby to'engage withl and carry said first unit in a brake applyingdirection :but with its pawl locking to said rack when said `spring iscompressed, Yand an operator control slidable in .said rack slot betweenoperative and inoperative positions and supported by said rack out ofengagement with Asaid pawl of Vsaid second and spring operated pawlslocated adjacent said slot, a brake operating member connected to saidrst unit and movable between brake engaging and brake releasingpositions, the pawl of said rst unit beingV operable to lock to saidrack against movement of said member towards a brake releasing position,a spring surrounding said rack and engaging said second unit, saidsecond unit being engaged by said spring to be urged thereby to engagewith and carry said rst unit in a brake applying direction but with itspawl unit locking said rack when said spring is compressed, and anoperator control slidable in said rack slot between operative andinoperative positions and supported by said rack out of engagement withsaid pawl of said second unit in said inoperative position but to engagetherewith as said control is moved into its operative position therebyto release said second unit to enable said spring to eect brakeengagement.

7. An emergency control for an emergency brake, said control comprisinga rack having a chamber opening through one end and a side thereof,first and second units slidably supported by said rack and includingspring actuated pawls located adjacent the side opening of said chamber,a brake operating member connected to said rst unit and movable betweenbrake en" gaging and brake releasing positions, the pawl of said rstunit being operable to lock to said rack against movement of said membertowards a brake releasing position, a spring surrounding said rack andengaging said second unit, said second pawl unit being engaged by saidspring to be urged thereby to engage with and carry `downwardly inclinedslots, transverse pins carried by said rack and extending through saidslots to enable said operator control to be slid from an inoperativeraised position into an operative lowered position in which it engagesthe pawl of said second unit, and means yieldably holding said operatorcontrol in its inoperative position.

8. The emergency control of claim 7 in which the means yieldably holdingthe control in its inoperative position comprise a member anchored inthe rack chamber, and a spring carried by the anchored member andengaging the control.

9. An emergency control for an emergency brake, said control comprisinga housing having a guide slot, a rack in said housing having a chamberopening through one end and a side thereof in alinement with said guideslot, first and Second units slidably supported by said rack andincluding spring actuated pawls located adjacent the side opening ofsaid chamber, a brake operating member extending through said guide slotand movable between brake engaging and brake releasing positions, thepawl of said first unit being operable to lock to said rack againstmovement towardsa brake releasing position, a spring in said housingoperable to engage said second unit and carry said rst unit with it in abrake applying direction but with the pawl of said second unit lockingto said rack when said spring is under tension, and an operator controlcarried by said rack and extending exteriorly of said housing to releasethe pawl of said second unit.

LELAND A. WOODSWORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the rlile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 15,467 Schauman Oct. 10, 19221,679,181 Schauman et al. July 31, 1928 1,760,652 Loomis May 27, 1930FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 426,630 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1935

